Roys15

It is common at our Blackbelt testings for sensei to hand a student a tonfa and a sai, or tonfa/sword, sai/kama,etc. and tell the student to perform a specific kata. The reasons for this are twofold I believe. One to demonstrate that the basic principles behind any weapon are generally the same, and two to test the students improvisation ability. I've welded two weapons of a different sort, and I've seen several people do it. It's all about the basics.

Sorry late response, I know. I just look around in class to see people struggling with things they should already know for their rank. For me personally, when I turn to a higher rank and ask him to show me a kata or technique, and he can't do it, it makes me wonder why I just bowed to him. I just think that the threat of losing rank would keep us all sharp. yeah, you "earned" your rank in testing, but if you can't repeeat it, did you really learn it and earn it?

Easy, if she doesn't meet the requirements fail her, but tell her exactly why you did. Try and light a fire under her

Im gonna rant for a minute, so please excuses my pigheadedness I have argued this point in other discussions on this site, but adults gotta realize-kids ain't stoopid. While I agree that most u13's don't have the ability to teach class, many will surprise you. As aforementioned, maturity and ability should be determined on a case by case basis. As for those that say a small person wouldn't be able to do throws and what not to larger people, are you min the right style? If I were learning or teaching such things I would want to be sure the technique worked on folks of all sizes. If you're training in a style that doesn't teach you how to take town bigger folks, well, you're dead. And junior blackbelts? Really? Why junior ranks at all? Is this not the grandest form of watering down a style? Why not go ahead and hold kids to a higher standard? Adults hold kids to a higher standard all the time, now suddenly you want to hold a child down? At something this child presumably loves to do. For what reason? If you hold children to a different, lower ranking system than adults, of course you'll never want to learn from them. If you hold kids below your level how can you expect ever to surpass anyone? All that being said, I believe your instructor should at least be able to get them self to class. So the minimum age for a solo instructor should be sixteen(or drivers license age). One cannot learn to teach unless given the chance.

There are certain styles of martial arts designed specifically for bodyguards. If you are charged with protecting another, you must realize that your life means nothing! Fear of death(whether your own or an opponent's) is not an option for a protector. When defending oneself, your incapacitation is acceptable, because you are just looking after yourself, but in a protector status you cannot fail in your attempts to incapacitate an attacker, because then you have not only killed yourself, you have also effectively murdered your charge(s). But here is the real question you must ask yourself: If one is ready, willing and eager to attack you, then do you not provide protection for humanity itself? If any Martial Arts practitioner fails to incapacitate an aggressor, has he not failed his purpose? one who attacks another will hurt all others. Martial Artists are humanity's body guards.

Here's the baseline: If you submit you ARE going to get raped, and possibly beaten or killed. If you fight back with all your might, you may not get raped, beaten or killed. submission=sure thing, fight=possible salvation

Thanks for the replies yall...

I currently train in chito-ryu yoshukai, and I read somewhere that Dr. Chitose was influenced by chinese styles in his studies. I was just wondering which style(s) influenced him so.

No, it's not the Domeitrich lineage. It's the Chitose-> Kasuoh Yamamoto-> Ray Nichols lineage . They (the sais) are held vertically when by your sides.

Sensei Ray Nichols... ...nuff said

That would be another serious question, would a jury treat you unfairly because you're a registered lethal weapon?

I take chito-ryu yoshukai, and these zai are very good for trapping and locking other weapons. The handles are wrapped with nylon cord and are made in two sizes (adult and child size). They are made of iron or stainless, depending... I believe that they are made by a private blacksmith.

You can see a picture here: http://www.karateforums.com/album_pic.php?pic_id=447

They are made that way for better balance.

Oops this should probably be in the comparative styles forum...Oh well...

Which Chinese style do yall think most closely resembles Japanese Karate? I'm interested because word on the street is the the style I practice may be descended from Chinese arts. Thanks

I've been taught all kinds of moves to handle multiple attackers, but recently a practitioner of shotokan(?) told me that if you are attacked by multiple assailants that there is little hope of winning this fight. Is this a common pessimism or can a trained martial artist hold his own against several attackers?

When you pass a Dan testing in my style, your name and rank and whatnot are sent to and recorded at the Head Dojo in Japan. I told you that to ask yall this: is it true that if you do get into an altercation (even if you're defending yourself) and you injure (or, heaven forbid, kill) your assailant, that you'll get extra jail time because you're registered in the orient? Could you get time because you're involved in martial arts?

Say you just passed a Dan testing and you're going to the dojo to train as usual, and you find your sensei there and he demands you test again, right then and there. What do yall think of this idea. I think it'd be a great way to terminate "temporary knowledge". ...Maybe a little cruel though...

I would like to retract my previous statement about dealing with attack dogs. After a recent experience with an angry dog, I realize I have no clue about how to deal with them. As I was walking along the beach the other day, a Great Dane came bounding across the sand at me. After i got past the sudden rush of fear, I backpedaled to the ocean, then froze (I did all of this in about 2 seconds with no conscious thought). Every time I tried to move the dog would snarl at me. Luckily the owner was nearby and was able to pull the dog off. I don't now what I would have done if those huge jaws got ahold of me...

How are your zai shaped? I ask because I've noticed that most styles use zai whose side guards are curved, in our style, though, we have them specially made so that the side guards have sharp angles instead of being gently curved. Does anyone else use zai like this, our do yall just use the off the shelf curved-type that martial arts retailers sell?

that would be a good catch-all for this situation...

Touche, I agree, it might not be best to teach unruly eight year olds eye gouges that they may use on others on the playground... As for knife and gun work, everyone in my family has been taught how to handle knives and guns from what the rest of the world might consider a young age, and neither my sister or I have ever used either on each other or anyone else. I understand not teaching tactical weaponry to children, that's somewhat logical. I see no problem with teaching kids to defend against these weapons though... It's good to learn how to fight at a young age, but you don't have to scare the snot out of folks when you do it, thats not a requirement in the instructor handbook =-) yeah, hold off on the neck breaks, and choke holds with young children, but I'm sure today's teenagers have never seen anything like a broken neck in any movies.. I don't see how any of this applies to teaching and allowing a responsible teenager to teach these things. I've learned many lethal techniques in karate, but with the discipline I've gained through karate, I've never been tempted to use these moves. I guess it all comes down to the responsibility issue. Some folks can be trusted, and some can't. Be smart, use good judgement.

All of this started just because the victim made a rude comment on the phone, not knowing what he actually said you can't blame him. people like the attackers really shouldn't be allowed in public if they're just gonna cause problems. I would have had to jump in personally, as a responsible citizen, you can't let this kinda stuff stand. A wise man once said "don't complain if you're not willing to fix the problem yourself"

Once again, age doesn't necessarily mean experience. I know senior citizens who have never been in a real life threatening altercation, and I also have an 11 year old buddy who has had 4 grown men attack him at once. Here's something else you might want to consider in a case such as the aforementioned. In my school there are many different instructors, so if you were to get involved, you could always turn to one of the higher-ups for extra experience. Each and every instructor has their own innate and individual specialties, which altogether make a great organization. Just because one has never had to use a certain technique in a real life and death situation, does that mean that they won't know how to use said technique? I'm sure all of us have learned techniques from our senseis that they have never had to use. does that make our senseis inexperienced frauds? Hmm... **I don't know about your styles, but in ours alot of the katas and drills we do are composed of self defense moves** If your not dumbing your style down for juniors, and your juniors had to jump through all the same hoops that your adults did to get the same rank, shouldn't they have the same training and abilities?